Does Stench work underwater, and if so, how and when?


Rules Questions


If you're fighting a monster underwater, would it get its Stench ability? For instance, do Troglodytes get their Stench ability underwater, or Globsters?

I could easily suggest it doesn't, as you don't really smell underwater, it's more a sense of taste and Stench is described as an "oily chemical" which wouldn't mix with water when compared to air. But Pathfinder never specifies so....


Logically it should not because most creatures are not breathing when they are under water. If something does breathe underwater the ability might work. I could see the chemical irritating something with gills.


"because most creatures are not breathing when they are under water"

i'm sorry but in our world almost every living creature underwater breathes this way or that.

the reason WE do not smell underwater is that it would choke us if we inhaled water to try and smell.
water dwelling creatures do use scent abilities (remember that old "sharks can smell blood in water up to X miles away thing?", it's a fact not just a saying). there is no reason why scent\stench wouldn't work underwater. it might be prudent to only work in the closer proximity and depending on the current of water, but should still work for creatures who breath in water.


Humans and most other land creatures do not breathe water, therefor are usually not breathing underwater. They are usually holding their breath. If the characters are only underwater for a short time they may not be breathing when underwater. In that case the stench ability would probably not work on them. If they have some means of breathing underwater it will probably work. If they do not have to breathe while underwater it probably would not work.


so basically, anything that breaths underwater is affected and anything that doesn't shouldn't. pretty much how it should work above water as well.
as in constructs and undead shouldn't be affected by stench in or out of water.


Something whimsical in me is amused at the thought of ghosts and other immaterial beings being affected by Stench because they're already like a wisp of wind and so they're offended by the horrendous smell. ;)


Realistically stench should be affected by the water, but it shouldn't be completely ineffective. I'm just not sure how to modify it.

Regardless as pointed out, things can definitely smell in water.

But most land creatures probably aren't breathing the water. Instead they might have air bubble or be holding their breath.

For ease of play I'd run stench as operating at normal range underwater, but that creatures holding their breath or using air bubble aren't affected. The reason for air bubble not working is I'd say the stench when soaked in water can't effectively volatize to a gas when it hits the air bubble.

Not saying it's correct, just how I'd run it.


Sharks can smell blood over a mile away, so if you have a creature that has Water Breathing, then I think it stands to reason that the stench of a Troglodyte would be an overpowering scent that can be smelled from a great distance.


I'm not sure that you can extrapolate from sharks and blood in water how it should function. From my understanding that might be a very specific sort of capability, closer to a special ability like scent for blood only than represent of how smells work under water.

Without more information, I'm inclined to keep the original distances of smell based abilities.


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Yeah that's how I'd do it. Keep the underwater scent distances the same as the scent distances on land.

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